heat penetrating her leather dress, reeling her senses.
“Or does the fact that I’m a half-breed disgust you,
as it does the rest of your race?”
His warm breath fanned her cheek. His musky, male
scent drifted to her nose. Memories of the stranger, who wore the long duster,
staring at her in the streets of Dubois, again invaded her mind. Then those
same feelings from her dream coursed through her, though she didn’t want to
accept that this arrogant man had any connection to either event.
“The fact that you’re Indian turns my stomach. You’re
no different from the savages who scalped those people in that raid, who left
me alone in this God-forsaken wilderness.”
“ I didn’t kill anyone. But the Blackfoot tribe
takes pride in murder, unlike ours.”
The muscles along his jaw line twitched. The searing
hatred Kate saw in his eyes nearly burned her. Was his hate directed toward her
or to the Blackfoot tribe who murdered the whites? She couldn’t figure out why
he would be so angry with her .
She clenched her teeth. “Let go of me.”
Taima released her so quickly she stumbled backward.
Catching her balance, she spun around to stare at Ahanu. “I suppose you could
understand me all along, too?”
Ahanu shrugged. “It was not my place to tell you
otherwise.”
Kate glanced at the frightened woman. “And I suppose
you also speak English?”
Aiyana nodded.
Turning his back on Kate, Taima returned to sit beside
his son at the fire. She stared at his back with contempt, then met Ahanu’s
gaze over Taima’s shoulder. His dark eyebrow rose; a smirk crossed his face.
Kate’s heart raced from the anger raging through her
veins, her breathing labored. Furious, she clenched her fists and turned on her
heel, running toward the horses beyond the copse of pine. She made her way in
the near dark, passing others eating their evening meal, or enjoying a joke. No
one paid her any attention. The rapid beat of her heart kept pace with her
pounding feet.
How dare Taima deceive her, making her look the fool? The wind whipped her hair behind her. The cool
evening air helped soothe the burning anger that coiled within her body. He had
dealt with her for the last time. She would save him the trouble of getting rid
of her. Capturing her still made no sense if he hated the white man. Why
even bother with her?
Though dusk settled around her, she could still see
the treacherous rocks and fallen timber in her path on the way to find a horse
to escape with.
A copse of pine trees grew just ahead. Soon she would
be hidden safely within their cover, away from Taima forever. Warm tears ran
down her cheek. Why had he bothered with her in the first place?
Reaching the horses, she quickly untied one, and hiked
up her leather dress to mount. She gripped the dark mane in her fingers as she
pulled herself onto the animals back.
* * * * *
Taima wrapped an arm around his son to reassure him
everything was fine after his confrontation with Kate, while Ahanu played
noisily with his daughter. A few moments later, a silent Aiyana drew Taima’s
attention. She sat beside him with downcast eyes, yet she glanced at Ahanu.
Suspicious, Taima narrowed his eyes on Ahanu. His irritating, lopsided grin and
slight chuckle nearly unseated Taima. Ahanu grasped his daughter, stifling her
laughter with the palm of his hand.
Quickly glancing around for Kate, Taima saw only her
blanket lying in a heap where she’d sat earlier.
His eyes widened in rage as he stared at Ahanu. “Tell
me you didn’t allow her to escape while we sat right here? And don’t shrug your
shoulders like you don’t know, damn you, Ahanu.”
“Since you ignored her, so did I. It wasn’t my place
to tell you how to treat your prisoner.”
Taima rose and pointed at his son. “Keep him with you
until I return.”
He raced toward the horses, seeing a shadow slip into
the pines. Why couldn’t white women be as obedient as the Shoshone women? At
least they listened
“Or does the fact that I’m a half-breed disgust you,
as it does the rest of your race?”
His warm breath fanned her cheek. His musky, male
scent drifted to her nose. Memories of the stranger, who wore the long duster,
staring at her in the streets of Dubois, again invaded her mind. Then those
same feelings from her dream coursed through her, though she didn’t want to
accept that this arrogant man had any connection to either event.
“The fact that you’re Indian turns my stomach. You’re
no different from the savages who scalped those people in that raid, who left
me alone in this God-forsaken wilderness.”
“ I didn’t kill anyone. But the Blackfoot tribe
takes pride in murder, unlike ours.”
The muscles along his jaw line twitched. The searing
hatred Kate saw in his eyes nearly burned her. Was his hate directed toward her
or to the Blackfoot tribe who murdered the whites? She couldn’t figure out why
he would be so angry with her .
She clenched her teeth. “Let go of me.”
Taima released her so quickly she stumbled backward.
Catching her balance, she spun around to stare at Ahanu. “I suppose you could
understand me all along, too?”
Ahanu shrugged. “It was not my place to tell you
otherwise.”
Kate glanced at the frightened woman. “And I suppose
you also speak English?”
Aiyana nodded.
Turning his back on Kate, Taima returned to sit beside
his son at the fire. She stared at his back with contempt, then met Ahanu’s
gaze over Taima’s shoulder. His dark eyebrow rose; a smirk crossed his face.
Kate’s heart raced from the anger raging through her
veins, her breathing labored. Furious, she clenched her fists and turned on her
heel, running toward the horses beyond the copse of pine. She made her way in
the near dark, passing others eating their evening meal, or enjoying a joke. No
one paid her any attention. The rapid beat of her heart kept pace with her
pounding feet.
How dare Taima deceive her, making her look the fool? The wind whipped her hair behind her. The cool
evening air helped soothe the burning anger that coiled within her body. He had
dealt with her for the last time. She would save him the trouble of getting rid
of her. Capturing her still made no sense if he hated the white man. Why
even bother with her?
Though dusk settled around her, she could still see
the treacherous rocks and fallen timber in her path on the way to find a horse
to escape with.
A copse of pine trees grew just ahead. Soon she would
be hidden safely within their cover, away from Taima forever. Warm tears ran
down her cheek. Why had he bothered with her in the first place?
Reaching the horses, she quickly untied one, and hiked
up her leather dress to mount. She gripped the dark mane in her fingers as she
pulled herself onto the animals back.
* * * * *
Taima wrapped an arm around his son to reassure him
everything was fine after his confrontation with Kate, while Ahanu played
noisily with his daughter. A few moments later, a silent Aiyana drew Taima’s
attention. She sat beside him with downcast eyes, yet she glanced at Ahanu.
Suspicious, Taima narrowed his eyes on Ahanu. His irritating, lopsided grin and
slight chuckle nearly unseated Taima. Ahanu grasped his daughter, stifling her
laughter with the palm of his hand.
Quickly glancing around for Kate, Taima saw only her
blanket lying in a heap where she’d sat earlier.
His eyes widened in rage as he stared at Ahanu. “Tell
me you didn’t allow her to escape while we sat right here? And don’t shrug your
shoulders like you don’t know, damn you, Ahanu.”
“Since you ignored her, so did I. It wasn’t my place
to tell you how to treat your prisoner.”
Taima rose and pointed at his son. “Keep him with you
until I return.”
He raced toward the horses, seeing a shadow slip into
the pines. Why couldn’t white women be as obedient as the Shoshone women? At
least they listened